Bits and pieces of my life. I am a lifelong Christian. I have been married for over 39 years to Stan. No children. We have 3 Italian Greyhounds: Persephone, Dresden & Capodimonte and a calico cat named Binky. We have 9 nieces/nephews and 9 grandnieces/nephews whom we love. My hobbies are genealogy, reading, digital scrapbooking, history, dogs, homemaking. This is a personal blog and not a business. I share what interests me and I am not selling anything or making a profit.

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Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Aaron Freeman and Mary Bentley

Aaron Freeman married Mary Bentley and they had a son named...
...Rev. Moses Freeman who married Mary Fannie Ball and they had a daughter named...
......Mary Jane Freeman who married Rev. William Rees and they had a son named...
.........Green Hill Reese who married Tabitha Jane Freeman and they had a son named...
............William Hanes Reese who married Nancy Rebecca Lunsford and they had a son named...
...............Bailey Bright Reese who married Lillian Vianna Conner and they had a son named...
..................William Wilford Reese who married Geneva Margaret Lamb and they had a daughter named...
.....................Eleanor Elaine Reese who married William Avery Huneycutt and they had ME!

Aaron Freeman was born about 1745 in Chowan County, originally Chowan Precinct of Albemarle County (which eventually dissolved with precincts becoming counties), NC to John Freeman and Sarah or Elizabeth (or Sarah Elizabeth?). He is listed as a son of John Freeman in John Freeman's will (Bertie County Original Wills, CR .010.801.5). He and his brother, John, moved to NC in 1763 possibly traveling Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg's Trail. Aaron and John were pioneers in the truest sense of the word as they were among the first settlers to move to the Piedmont and eastern slopes of the Southern Appalachians. They did so at a time when the area was still controlled by the Catawba and Cherokee Indian Tribes, and indeed, the French and Indian War was still raging. In NC. this war was known as the Cherokee War and it was a dark and bloody time in the Western Piedmont.

Aaron is believed to have remained with John through the Summer of 1763, helping his brother clear the new land and then returned to his father's plantation. Aaron later returned and it appears that he joined his brother, John, in trading with the Cherokee and Catawba Indians in Georgia. Aaron was living with John when he met and married Mary Bentley on 17 Dec 1769 in Bertie County, NC.

Mary Bentley was born about 1749 in Rowan County, NC to Thomas Bentley, Jr. and Hannah Thomas.

On 12/17/1769 Thomas Bentley wrote a letter requesting that his son be permitted to sign the Rowan County marriage bond, issued by Thomas Frohock, allowing Aaron Freeman to marry his daughter, Mary Bentley, as follows:

"Sr [Sir] if you please to let Aaron Freeman have licence for my daughter MarryBentley [sic] I am Sattisfied so far let my son sign the licence bond I hope you are in better health then when I saw you last No more at present but your humb servt [humble servant]

December ye 17th day 1769 [signed] Thos Bentley

Wits [Witnesses] present

Benjamin Bentley (his mark)

James Freeman (his mark)"

Aaron had a tavern or trading house, and he evidently traded with the Catawbas, Cherokees, Creeks, and, maybe, the Saponi Indians. On 3 May 1774 Aaron was issued a tavern's license. He was living in the forks of the Yadkin River, Davie County (formed from Rowan County), NC near "Trading Ford," which was located on a trace, roadway, or path known at that time as the "Old Spartanburg Trail" in Rowan County, NC.

1790 U.S. Census of Bertie County, North Carolina; Roll: M637_7; Page: 354; Image: 209; Family History Library Film: 0568147, "Aaron Freeman"
Name: Aaron Freeman
Number of Free White Males Under 16: 1
Number of Free White Males 16 and Over: 1
Number of Free White Females: 3
Number of All Other Free Persons: 2
Number of Slaves : 2
Number of Household Members: 5

In the 1800 U.S. Land Tax for Wilkes County, NC, Aaron Freeman is listed as having two houses, a barn and a "still house" on 150 acres.

Deed from Joshua Freeman (son) to Aaron Freeman (father)
From Deed Book 9, pgs 48-49, Buncombe County, NC Archives
Made: October 18, 1803, Recorded: 1/1804
"Know all men by these presents that I, Joshua Freeman of Buncombe County & State of N. Carolina, for and in consideration of the sum of sixty dollars to me paid in hand by Aaron Freeman of the county and state aforesaid at and before the sealing and signing of these presents, the receipt and payment whereof I do hereby acknowledge, for myself and my heirs I do hereby bargain, sell, confirm unto him, the said Aaron Freeman, his heirs & assigns forever a certain piece or parcel of land in the county of Buncombe & State of N. Carolina containing seventy-five acres on the main ridge between Sandy Mush and Turkey Creek.

"Beginning on a beech standing on the south side of a branch called the Big Branch entering into Turkey Creek & runs north one hundred and ten poles to a white oak; thence wet one hundred and fifty poles to a white oak; thence south one hundred & ten poles to a stake and pointer; thence ninety poles to the beginning as entered the third of May, 1794.

"Which sd. piece or parcel of land with all ways, woods, waters, & every other appurtenance thereto belonging or appertaining I have hereby for myself, my heirs, executors, and administrator sold, set over, conveyed, released, and confirmed in open market to the sd. Aaron Freeman & his heirs & assigns forever. And I do hereby for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns that I and my heirs, executors, and administrators shall and will warrant & forever defend the sd. piece or parcel of land with all and every of its members and appurtenances free from all lawful claims of any person or persons whatsoever unto the sd. Aaron Freeman. In witness whereof I have set my hand & seal 18th of October one thousand eight hundred and three."

Signed, sealed, & delivered in presence of: Abraham DavisJoshua Freeman
January Session, 1804
"The within deed was acknowledged in open court and ordered to be registered."
Certificed: D.Vance. Clk

From 1804-1820 he was an Indian Agent in Buncombe County, NC. He finally settled in Buncombe Co. N.C., and acted as a trader and Indian agent. There is a land transaction between Aaron Freeman and Creek Samuel Lowe around 1812/1814 for land on Turkey Creek in Buncombe Co. N.C. A number of Indian families lived on Turkey Creek in Buncombe Co. N.C. in the early 1800's because it was a sort of inter-tribal community for the Indians.

In 1807 Aaron and Mary were listed as members of Newfound Baptist Church in Buncombe County, NC.

Aaron Freeman died 18 Jan 1825 in Buncombe County, NC and is buried at Freeman Gap Cemetery which was in Buncombe County, NC at the time but is now in Madison County, NC (Madison County was formed in 1851). Mary Bentley Freeman died between 1830-1833 in Buncombe County, NC and is also buried at Freeman Gap Cemetery.

It's possible that Mary Freeman was living with her son, Rev. Moses Freeman, in Buncombe County, NC for the 1830 U.S. Census because there is a female living with him that is between the ages of 60-69. On the other hand, Moses' wife, Fannie, would have been about 52 yrs old but there are no other females listed in the household. Is this female Mary Bentley Freeman or did the census taker make a mistake and put Fannie Ball Freeman in the wrong age column? I think it's the latter.1830 U.S. Census of Buncombe, North Carolina, Page: 263; NARA Roll: M19-118; Family History Film: 0018084, "Freeman, Moses, Sr."
Name: Moses Freeman Senior
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59: 1Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69: 1
Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35: 1
Slaves - Females - Under 10: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 3
Total Free White Persons: 5
Total Slaves: 2
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 7

*Note* Rowan County was formed in 1753 from the northern part of Anson County. It was named for Matthew Rowan, acting governor of North Carolina from 1753 to 1754.

Originally, Rowan County was a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. Reductions in its extent began in 1770, when the eastern part of it was combined with the western part of Orange County to become Guilford County, North Carolina. In 1771 the northeastern part of what remained of Rowan County became Surry County. In 1777 the western part of Rowan County became Burke County. In 1788 the western part of the now much smaller Rowan County became Iredell County. In 1822 the eastern part of the still shrinking county became Davidson County. Finally, in 1836 the part of Rowan County north of the South Yadkin River became Davie County.